Songs to Fall in Love To
by scoob2222
Summary: A series about what happens after Fallout when Peter and Claire meet up again. this series includes my fics Long Dark Coat and Come and Follow Me and a new chapterBroken
1. Long Dark Coat

Disclaimer: Lyrics at beginning and end are from Long Black Coat by Joan Osborne.

_He looked into her eyes when she stopped him to ask_

_If he wanted to dance_

Ten days.

It's been ten days since she'd seen Peter.

Ten days since the man had grabbed her in her room.

Ten days since she'd learned the truth.

Her father wasn't who she thought he was.

Her mother and brother were merely robots, they knew what he wanted them to know.

And her best friend, her first real friend, thought she was still a spoiled self-centered bitch.

Her world had been turned inside out.

And now there was only one thing on her mind: tomorrow.

She was lying awake, her eyes closed. She breathed deeply, evenly, so that if her father came in there would be no sign that she was anything but his carefree little girl.

She'd tried to sleep, knew she should, she needed her rest.

But….every time she slept she saw it in her dreams.

_She'd never been there before. She'd never been on that street._

_But as she ran down it she knew exactly where she was and what she was doing._

_She was in New York City. She was running towards Peter._

_But then…then she was running away. _

She ran away from him and then…..that was it, it ended there.

But she was sure whatever happened next wasn't good.

_Claire, can you keep a secret?_

_Ye…Yes…I…I can._

_When your father comes home you will smile and act like it's a year ago. Like you're just a normal, happy teenager. Don't talk to Zach, when you go to school stay with the other cheerleaders. Ten days from now you'll get up and go to school, on the way there a car will pick you up and take you to the airport. You'll be on the first flight out. Peter will meet you in New York._

_Peter will meet you in New York._

_Peter will meet you in New York._

_Peter will meet you in New York._

_Peter will meet you in New York._

Peter remembered her. He remembered who she was, what had happened and tomorrow she was going to see him again.

And she'd tell him about her dream and they would stop it, just like he'd saved her, just like she'd save him. They could do it again.

Or, if they couldn't, then she could change one thing…she wouldn't run. If something was going to be there to hurt Peter, she was going to be there with him.

_She's gone with the man in the long black coat._


	2. Come and Follow Me

Disclaimer: Lyrics at beginning and end are from the song Come and Follow me and belong toMax Carl and Marcy Levy. Not to me

_Come and follow me  
To wherever the light breaks through._

She was sure that the moment she stepped off the plane her father would be there waiting for her. That somehow the plan had failed and he'd take her home and make her really forget and she'd never see Peter.

That couldn't happen, Peter needed her.

_Peter hasn't healed completely. He absorbs power slowly, he healed some, but he needs more contact with you. _

She could only wait and pray that she made it in time.

&&&&&&

She took a deep breath to steady herself as she glanced around the airport. People shoved passed her as they tried to exit the plane, but she couldn't seem to get her feet to move forward.

_She didn't see him. He wasn't here._

"CLAIRE!" she heard her named and whipped her head to the right. She was running toward him a second later.

"Peter," she cried as she launched herself at him. He hugged her tight, even as his body shook as he coughed.

"Shhh, it's okay. I got you now," he whispered as his hands moved over her hair and back soothingly. It took her a few seconds to realize he was soothing her because she was trembling and sobbing and then the words started to pour out of him.

"They made them forget, Peter. They made everyone forget and I had to pretend to forget and I was so scared you were going to forget me."

She was sobbing and rambling and making no sense to herself, but he must have been able to hear her because he whispered back, "I didn't forget you Claire. It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay." He pulled back and she could see the determination in his eyes. He really was her hero.

She nodded a little, still crying, and then pulled away when he coughed again, "He said you were still hurt."

"I know. He told me not to go to a doctor. He said you'd be here in time to heal me."

"I don't even know how."

"I think," he coughed again, "I think, I think its happening. Just you being here, being near me. You might have to stick by me for a while though," he smiled, trying to keep it light, but she felt a wave of sadness go through her.

"I don't have anywhere else to go. I don't have anyone."

He put his hands on her arms, his grip firm and reassuring, "You have me. I know you're scared Claire. And that you barely know me, but I'm here, whatever you need. I'll take care of you."

His eyes were so open, so revealing, like he didn't even know how to lie, like he didn't even know anything but the earnest need to protect her.

She nodded, "Okay."

Peter smiled, "After all, I wouldn't be a very good hero if I didn't keep you safe."

She smiled, maybe her first real smile since the last time she'd seen him. He held his hand out and she put her hand in his, threading their fingers together and feeling like she could breathe again.

He walked towards the exit….and she followed.

_In your eyes I see,  
You're alive as me.  
So whenever I'm lost then I can follow you._


	3. Broken

_The worst is over now and we can breathe again_

_I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away_

When he let her walk into the apartment in from of him he could see from the way her body tensed, how her steps were slow and cautious, just how afraid she was.

"It's okay Claire. This place is safe."

She nodded, but he took her hand in his anyway, and walked in with her.

"Where are we?" she asks.

"An apartment. Audrey helped Matt find it so it would probably take a few days before anyone could track us here. And since your Dad thinks you're at your friend's house for the night, we're okay until morning."

"My dad. Do you, I don't know if he bought my story. And I missed school. They'll call my house and…"

"Your mom will answer and then _he'll_ make her forget it."

"_He_…" she stopped, eyes full of realization, "The man who told me about my dad. He came to you too. And who are Matt and Audrey?"

"They're..." he stopped, coughed again, "Maybe we should sit down first. It's kind of a long story."

"I'm sorry," she said, "Are you okay? Does it hurt badly?"

"No, not really," he said, but lowered himself gratefully down onto the couch, "It feels better the longer I'm around you."

"Is this…." She inches closer to him on the couch, "How does this work? Do you even know? Does it help the closer I am?"

"I'm not sure how it works. All I know is when I'm around my brother I can fly, when I'm around Isaac I can see the future and when I'm with you…I heal."

She smiled, "Kind of neat isn't it?"

He smiled back, "Much better than dying."

"So," she started again, "Whose Matt?"

"He's the cop that talked to both of us in Texas. Him and his partner, Audrey."

"Why would he help us?"

"About nine days ago, just as I got back home, this guy, I assume the one that came to you, came to see me. He told me that your dad sent him to erase you from my memory, and he wanted him to do the same thing to you. That he'd done it before."

Claire's head fell, her eyes on the floor, "Yeah, to me, my mom, who knows who else. They just…forget."

Peter didn't know what to say so he laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and he let his hand slide down her arm. Her hand intertwined with his and her eyes were full of gratitude.

"The man told me that. Then he said that he was sending you here. Told me where to meet you. Told me what I had to do when you got here. Then he told me to contact Matt. He's…like us."

"He has powers. There are more of us."

"Yeah, he can read minds."

"And Audrey."

"No, she's not….not like us, but she's helping us anyway. Well, I think it's more that she's trusting Matt when he says they need to help us."

"So they found this apartment."

"Yeah, but…we can only stay through tonight. In the morning we leave."

"Why not now? Isn't it better to start at night?"

Peter blushed a little, "I, uh, I need a little time to…heal. If I don't rest while I…absorb your power it could make things worse later."

"Of course," she says quickly and her hand squeezes his, "Are you…is it any better? Am I helping?"

"Yeah, it's weird. It doesn't feel like anything's happening, but I'm healing, I just know it. But, uh…" he lets his words trail off as he blushes again.

"What?"

"We're going to have to spend the night together….not…that, I didn't mean…" he stammers, blushes more until Claire takes pity on him.

"We have to stay close, so you can heal. That's, that's fine. I'm not really all that excited about being by myself. I've been that way for over a week. It's kind of nice to be with someone else and not pretend."

He nodded, "I'm sorry that you've been alone. I wanted to come and get you, but I needed to wait until I got some help. Your dad's pretty connected, plus you're underage."

"What are we going to do now? Are we just going to run?"

Peter took a long deep breath as if he'd finally gotten the ability back, "Two weeks. You turn 18 in two weeks."

"Yeah, so?"

"We need to keep on the road until then. Until we're sure your father can't take you back even if he finds us."

"And then?"

"_He_," Peter emphasizes the word so Claire would know exactly which he it was "thinks your dad will back down. He won't want people looking into your disappearance, or into your abilities, so he'll…"

"He'll what? What Peter?" her voice rose in alarm.

"He'll erase you. From your mom, your brother, your friends, the whole town. No one in Odessa will remember you."

Claire's eyes widened for a moment, and then she took in a deep shuddering breath, "I can never go back, can I?"

"No Claire," he said his hand still holding hers, "You can't."

She nods quickly because somehow she knew this. Deep down she knew the minute she stepped onto the plane that she was never going home again.

But knowing it and hearing someone conform it were two separate things and she can't stop the tears that begin running down her face. She can't find a way to choke back the sobs. She can only squeeze his hand gratefully as he pulls her close, lets her cry on his shoulder as his hand moves over her hair.

He doesn't tell her it will be okay, he doesn't reassure her, he just holds her as she while she breaks.

_There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight_

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

_Cause I'm broken_


End file.
